Regulatory Barriers - Nation Call To Action: Reports

The SJVHT is the vehicle for the America's Affordable Communities Initiative in the Central Valley of California. This region of 8 Counties and 62 jurisdictions, larger than 24 States, is an agricultural powerhouse that is among the fastest growing regions in the nation. And while housing seems affordable compared to Bay Area, Coastal, and Southern California regions, it is not to the majority of the workforce in an area where there is the great concentration of poverty in the country, which bears statistics in income and employment that are lower than Appalachia, and which locates colonias similar to those near the Mexican border.

Guided by the Fresno HUD Field Office, the Councils of Governments (COGs) of the 8 Counties of the region joined forces to start a land use planning process to save precious farmland and formed a regional housing organization that is made up of the 8 COGs, representatives of the housing and financial industries, housing authorities, CHDOs, and affordable housing advocates, and is chaired by Deidre Kelsey, a Merced County Supervisor, a member of the Merced COG and a long time affordable housing advocate. The purpose of the organization: to promote housing that is affordable to the workforce, that follows Smart Growth and New Urbanism principles, and that is job and transit oriented. The organization promotes Diversity and Density through Design.

The organization has worked with the State of California to secure up to $17m funding to incentivize local jurisdictions to create their own housing trust funds.

The organization has created county housing teams to outreach to, educate, and assist local jurisdictions, many of who have no housing staff, to plan and develop affordable housing.

The organization has disseminated the best practices in regulatory reform, opportunities for funding, and resources for energy efficiency and renewable energy, working with its sister organization, the San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization.

The organization, working with the California Housing Partnership, has identified government assisted multifamily projects that are at risk, and is creating teams to get owners to renew contracts or to buy up project to maintain their affordability.

The organization is staffed through the California Coalition for Rural Housing, funded through HUD Rural Housing and Economic Development and donations from participating organizations.

The organization is ready to assist local cities in developing their housing elements, in testifying before City Councils to overcoming NIMBYism, and provide training to staff and officials in techniques to develop and maintain affordable housing.